GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — Brian Hough, chairman of the Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society, said at the society's recent AGM that in co-operation with the local municipality, measures were being taken to set up a Local Heritage Authority in Graaff-Reinet, to take decisions about heritage buildings.
The ECPHRA (East Cape Provincial Heritage Authority) in Port Elizabeth which is mandated to do this, cannot be relied upon which has resulted in property owners having had to wait for months for decisions which in the end are made by the local municipality.
Although good co-operation is the norm, disappointment was expressed about the municipality's reaction to requests to control signage and take action against owners of derelict buildings.
The tree growing out of the Kruithuis, which is a municipal property, has not been removed yet. However, a request to the municipality for the Heritage Society to be involved in planning the buildings on Goedhals Square, was responded to positively.
This, and the formation of the Municipal Planning Tribunal to decide about the erection of the planned MTN towers, will be attended to after the amalgamation of the Ikwezi, Camdeboo and Baviaans municipalities.
The Heritage Society is proud of its ongoing project of facilitating information plaques for the town's historic buildings. Residents will have noticed these green plaques around the town and are encouraged to approach the Society if they would like to have one on their heritage homes.
No response has been received to an offer to supply a plaque for the Town Hall in place of the heritage plaque which has disappeared.
The 2016 heritage calendar was a great success and thanks goes to Union High School for their help in this regards. In the last year there have been well-attended outings - one to the farm Ganora and the other to two of the local cemeteries.
The Society looks forward to another outing on Heritage Day in September, details of which will be sent to members. To join the society, please email the secretary, Koos Grobbelaar at jpgrob@gmail.com or phone him at 082 640 1936.
In appreciation of the museum’s help, Hough presented Anziske Kayster, curator of the Graaff-Reinet Museum Complex, with a cheque for R5 000. Members were fascinated to listen to the guest speaker, Johannes Haarhoff, who shared ring his hobby of digitising South African rail images.
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